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Two years after Munroe High School disbanded its football program, the Bobcats are back on the field — and former coach Colby Roberts is leading the revival.
Munroe will restart its football program for the 2026 season, with Roberts returning as head coach. For Roberts, the opportunity to come back to a familiar program made the transition seamless, despite spending more than a decade away from coaching.
“I was done with football,” Roberts said.
“At the end of the day, it’s like riding a bike. You’re back out there, and you just get back in the swing of things. I enjoy it. It’s working with young people, getting the best out of them and the camaraderie with the coaching staff. I’m really enjoying it.”
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Rather than rushing the process, Roberts is taking a long-term approach as he rebuilds the program from the ground up.
The Bobcats are essentially starting from scratch, with an emphasis on establishing a culture, teaching fundamentals and creating continuity for future seasons. Roberts said the goal is to build a sustainable program, even if progress comes gradually.
“We don’t want to shoot from the hip and do things fast,” Roberts said. “We want to make sure we’re intentional with our actions and our steps and make sure this thing is done the right way. Then we’ll continue to build one season after another.”
With the program officially reinstated, Munroe has already begun laying the groundwork. The Bobcats will compete as an independent in 2026 and play a 10-game schedule. Nearly two dozen players have joined the roster, participating in summer workouts while preparing for fall camp.
A unique challenge for Roberts is that roughly half of the team has never played organized football. That has forced the veteran coach to simplify his teaching and focus on the fundamentals.
“I just had to slow things down from an implementation standpoint and go back to the bare basics,” Roberts said. “A lot of what we’re teaching is work ethic, showing up on time, being reliable. Then we’re teaching the basic fundamentals and things along those lines.”
More: Tallahassee's Kevin Record set to complete around-the-world bike ride
Roberts’ influence extends beyond football. In addition to coaching, he serves as pastor of Thomas Hill Road Baptist Church in Tallahassee, and his leadership philosophy is rooted in his faith.
Roberts said Colossians 3:23 — “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart” — serves as a guiding principle for the program. Along with football fundamentals, he wants players to develop character, discipline and strong work habits.
One of the standards he established from the outset was eliminating profanity from practices and team activities, a rule that applies to both players and coaches.
“I’ve learned from previous coaching stops that when you put God first, everything else is going to fall in line,” Roberts said. “That’s the first thing we’re doing. We hit that from day one at our first practices and organized team activities, and the kids are starting to buy into that.”
For a program that disappeared just two years ago, Munroe’s return represents more than the start of a new football season. Under Roberts’ leadership, the Bobcats are focused on establishing a culture built on fundamentals, accountability and faith. Wins may take time, but as Munroe prepares for its first season back, Roberts believes laying the proper foundation now will position the program for long-term success.
More: Why Rickards QB Jordan Kelley believes he can be Big Bend's top player
More: Which Big Bend football star has best nickname? Our fan vote results
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics and Big Bend Preps for the Tallahassee Democrat. If you like to pitch a story on a high school athlete, don't hesitate to get in touch with him via email at [email protected] or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Exclusive: How Colby Roberts is rebuilding Munroe football from scratch
Continue reading...
Munroe will restart its football program for the 2026 season, with Roberts returning as head coach. For Roberts, the opportunity to come back to a familiar program made the transition seamless, despite spending more than a decade away from coaching.
“I was done with football,” Roberts said.
“At the end of the day, it’s like riding a bike. You’re back out there, and you just get back in the swing of things. I enjoy it. It’s working with young people, getting the best out of them and the camaraderie with the coaching staff. I’m really enjoying it.”
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Colby Roberts focused on building a foundation
Rather than rushing the process, Roberts is taking a long-term approach as he rebuilds the program from the ground up.
The Bobcats are essentially starting from scratch, with an emphasis on establishing a culture, teaching fundamentals and creating continuity for future seasons. Roberts said the goal is to build a sustainable program, even if progress comes gradually.
“We don’t want to shoot from the hip and do things fast,” Roberts said. “We want to make sure we’re intentional with our actions and our steps and make sure this thing is done the right way. Then we’ll continue to build one season after another.”
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With the program officially reinstated, Munroe has already begun laying the groundwork. The Bobcats will compete as an independent in 2026 and play a 10-game schedule. Nearly two dozen players have joined the roster, participating in summer workouts while preparing for fall camp.
A unique challenge for Roberts is that roughly half of the team has never played organized football. That has forced the veteran coach to simplify his teaching and focus on the fundamentals.
“I just had to slow things down from an implementation standpoint and go back to the bare basics,” Roberts said. “A lot of what we’re teaching is work ethic, showing up on time, being reliable. Then we’re teaching the basic fundamentals and things along those lines.”
More: Tallahassee's Kevin Record set to complete around-the-world bike ride
Faith shapes Roberts’ coaching philosophy
You must be registered for see images attach
Roberts’ influence extends beyond football. In addition to coaching, he serves as pastor of Thomas Hill Road Baptist Church in Tallahassee, and his leadership philosophy is rooted in his faith.
Roberts said Colossians 3:23 — “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart” — serves as a guiding principle for the program. Along with football fundamentals, he wants players to develop character, discipline and strong work habits.
One of the standards he established from the outset was eliminating profanity from practices and team activities, a rule that applies to both players and coaches.
“I’ve learned from previous coaching stops that when you put God first, everything else is going to fall in line,” Roberts said. “That’s the first thing we’re doing. We hit that from day one at our first practices and organized team activities, and the kids are starting to buy into that.”
For a program that disappeared just two years ago, Munroe’s return represents more than the start of a new football season. Under Roberts’ leadership, the Bobcats are focused on establishing a culture built on fundamentals, accountability and faith. Wins may take time, but as Munroe prepares for its first season back, Roberts believes laying the proper foundation now will position the program for long-term success.
More: Why Rickards QB Jordan Kelley believes he can be Big Bend's top player
Munroe 2026 football schedule
- Aug. 14 — Spring Creek Charter Academy
- Aug. 28 — Citizens Christian Academy
- Sept. 4 — Cornerstone Academy
- Sept. 11 — Escambia Academy
- Sept. 17 — Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
- Sept. 25 — St. Francis Catholic
- Oct. 2 — Countryside Christian
- Oct. 9 — St. John Lutheran
More: Which Big Bend football star has best nickname? Our fan vote results
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics and Big Bend Preps for the Tallahassee Democrat. If you like to pitch a story on a high school athlete, don't hesitate to get in touch with him via email at [email protected] or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Exclusive: How Colby Roberts is rebuilding Munroe football from scratch
Continue reading...
